16th Century Musings

Sarah can be blamed for my latest CADD (Costume Attention Deficit Disorder) foray (mental only, so far!) into 16th century costume. I’ve been obsessed the last week with what-to-do-with-the-4.25-yards-of-orange-silk-damask-lurking-in-my-closet question. A few interesting things I’ve come across include an exhibit of Holbein’s drawings at the Tate Britain (click on Room Guide for lots of images), and a bazillion high res versions of 16th century maps that show costume figures (don’t forget your grain of salt, of course). We’ve been discussing on LJ exactly what is going on on the skirt CF of the lady on the right (warning: high res!). Theories welcome!

And while I’m at it, if you haven’t yet seen the first still from The Other Boleyn Girl (designed by Sandy Powell) that has been wildly overanalyzed on LJ, you really should!

In other movie news, I’ve seen the new BBC Wide Sargasso Sea and the 2003 TV version of The Other Boleyn Girl – reviews coming soon.

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6 Comments

The Holbein exhibit was astounding. The chance to see the Thomas More family group and see the lacing/unlacing on the gowns… Fantastic. The catalogue doesn’t do the show justice, as most reproductions don’t…

I’d love to see that exhibit. I love the Tate. I love London. It’s been too long.

As for the movie still – ahem – I didn’t realize the Tudor court went in for coordinating sister outfits. Does the mother have a matching one in green? And that fabric, while lovely, reads modern, or even art deco, to my eye. It’s . . . interesting.